Avoiding Scams

You may be a seasoned pro, but scammers are always evolving.
Read the below sections to better protect yourself, especially if you are new to crypto.

TRUST NO-ONE
Just assume everyone is trying to scam you… Don’t trust anyone!
Even if they seem like someone you know – scammers setup fake accounts that look similar to trusted people. If the spelling or grammar is off, this is quite often an indicator you aren’t talking to the person you think you are. Always check the age of the account and for subtle differences in the name/handle. It’s a good idea to disable DMs on your general Discord settings, only turn them on when you want to talk to someone.

IF IT SEEMS OFF, IT’S A SCAM
If the price is too good to be true, it’s probably a scam. For total peace of mind use a trusted escrow like Trading Tent – if they won’t do that then you should walk away. Never fall for the “I’m having issues with that marketplace” line. They want you to send your stuff to a wallet they control.

PROTECT YOUR SEED PHRASE
The only time you ever need to add your seed phrase to a website or app is when you restore your wallet with a trusted wallet provider like Eternl/Nami. BUT please check the validity of the wallet website or browser extension you are setting up. There are ‘honeypot’ scammer websites showing up top of the list as ‘sponsored links’ on search engines or ‘promotions’ on Twitter – they look very much like the ACTUAL website you want to interact with but have a slight difference. Check out our web3 wallet info if you haven’t already setup your wallet for browser connection.

WEB3 CONNECTIONS
You can safely ‘connect’ your wallet to a website without entering a spending password.
If you agree to a transaction CHECK it has the expected TX cost + tokens
NEVER input a seed phrase to a Web3 site!

GET HARD!
Get a hardware wallet. These are now Web3 compatible, nobody can access your account without confirming it with the spending passcode on the USB device. But remember – don’t keep your seed phrase stored online. Make at least 2 paper copies and keep in totally separate secret places (in case of fire you might also want to use a fireproof box).

Example Scams

MOD IMPERSONATION
A scammer will try to DM you posing as a mod or project owner. They will converse with you 1:1 as if they are saying hello, asking for a trade or providing help.

TRADE ESCROW
You are trading a token and they have a problem with using the marketplace, they will ask you to use their ‘preferred website’ for escrow. It is a scam, stick to marketplaces or well-known escrow providers if you aren’t 100% sure – it’s worth paying the fees.

FAKE WEBSITE
More advanced scammers will setup fake websites that appear identical to real ones, with a slightly different web address. Before you ever mint or sign a TX – you should check the URL with a trusted Twitter account or Discord server. Never enter your seed phrase to a website you aren’t 100% sure is trusted.